Fr the last 13 years I have been trying to grow Suarro Cactus' from seed. To date I have 1 growing (1.5ft tall). The seeds sprout readily enough with a
95% take rate but by the end of the summer they rot away. and if they dont rot during the summer, they certainly rot when I bring the seedlings inside for the winter. Whats the secret?Pardon me if I'm telling you what you already know, but . . . .
Most cacti need lots of sunlight and heat, very little water, and not too much cold. Many of them can go for several months without being watered. Really. They do better with neglect than with overattention.
You said you brought the plants inside. I take that to mean they're in pots. Either way, whether in pots or in the ground, cacti absolutely need to have good drainage, and not too much organic material in the soil. They don't need "sand", necessarily, but if you put the cacti in peat moss or clay, or if you water them too much, they will rot.
Then there's the usual varmints (bugs, etc) that will nibble on anything you have, anyway.
And about growth: some cacti do grow slowly. My mom had a saguaro that grew to a height of 2 or 3 inches in ten years.
If you can tell us where you have put your cacti, that might help to clarify the problem. Do you live in Yuma (great cactus climate), or in Seattle (a great place to kill cacti)? Do your cacti have sun, shade, rain, fungus, etc?
Ted Shoemaker certified grey thumb
I'm in Chicago. I sprout outdoors in the summer in a seedling flat. Watering is done via mist + rain. They are eyeballed each day to gauge dryness. In the fall I take the flat inside and puit it in a south facing Bay window. The one I have growing is 1.45ft tall after 13 years.
THis fall, I have a heat mat I will be trying incase its cold thats causing the problem
Don't seem to have this problem with other cactus varieties
I'm in Chicago. I sprout outdoors in the summer in a seedling flat. Watering is done via mist + rain. They are eyeballed each day to gauge dryness. In the fall I take the flat inside and puit it in a south facing Bay window. The one I have growing is 1.45ft tall after 13 years.
THis fall, I have a heat mat I will be trying incase its cold thats causing the problem
Don't seem to have this problem with other cactus varieties
Research the Web, using correct spelling "Saguaro".
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